Sedona (Phoenix, Flagstaff, Cottonwood: real estate, condo, vacation)

[poolgirl51]

Hi all I am new to this site. We visited Sedona this year and fell in love. We are considering a move to Sedona from the SE and I have a few questions.

What is the long term outlook for the water supply?
Are there many neighborhoods that are primarily full time residents vs vacation homes?
How good is the health care?
Are the people friendly?
What about bugs?
What else should we know?

Thanks!!!

[denisue82]

I was there on vacation a few weeks ago. We took a Jeep tour and the driver, who was a fountain of information, talked the entire time, covering way more information than I could soak up. One of the things she told us that stands out in my mind, though, is that that area goes in 100 to 200-year cycles of drought and non-drought. They are going into a new drought cycle. So long-term I suspect the outlook for the water supply is not so great.

[poolgirl51]

Thanks,

I think most, if not all, of their water comes from an aquifer 800 feet deep but a 200 year drought would be a problem. :-)

[TonyT]

Hi Poolgirl:

I am a current resident of Sedona so I will do my best to answer your questions.

You are correct that much of the water for Sedona does come from an aquifer. For now the supply seems adequate given the the population of Sedona itself is only about 11,000 or so. Long term...well I think it's fair to say that the outlook is the same for much of the Southwest...continuing periods of drought.

I would say that the majority of the neighborhoods in Sedona are home to permanent residents. There may be a vacation home here and there, but your vacation properties tend to be concentrated more in condo complexes than in areas of single family homes.

Healthcare...it's a small town. You have an Urgent Care and a small Emergency hospital that is associated with a larger hospital in Cottonwood. From there the closest medical facilities would be in Flagstaff or down in Phoenix. It seems that for cancer treatment, heart related illnesses and the like, most people go to Phoenix.

The people here are quite friendly, though they can be a bit odd at times. Maybe eccentric is a better word. You have a somewhat odd mix of cowboy types, rich people, hippies, new agers, and tourists all in the same place. So it's definitely not like anywhere else I have ever lived. Smoking is very popular up here as is hanging out in the local bars.

Bugs are the standard types that you find in desert areas; the ever present roach, ants, these nasty looking hairy centipedes, the occasional scorpion or tarantula. Treating your home in and out with a good pesticide pretty much keeps any or all of these pests from getting inside.

What else should you know? It's not a cheap place to live by any means. If you're retired then that may not be an issue. If you still have to work for a living, then it might, since the wage scale in Sedona is very low.

Rents are high but then real estate of any type up here is on the high side.

Utilities, at least in my experience seem quite low.

Your shopping choices are rather limited, being that there are only two major supermarkets in all of Sedona. If you need more than that then you will need to drive to Cottonwood and hit the Walmart or Fry's. Mall shopping would mean a trip to Flagstaff. And in my opinion it isn't really worth the drive since the mall there is a bit lacking.

Not sure what else to tell you. If there are more questions, I will do my best to answer them.

[poolgirl51]

Tony,

Thanks! your response is quite helpful. We are hikers and love the outdoors so I am sure that there is plenty to do. We are moving from Florida and I was hoping to get away from the roaches (shoot!!) Are they big? :-)

We will be looking for a house. Is there any part of town you would recommend. Folks have told me to stay away from VOC because of the 179 construction and the final design of the road there.

Thanks!!

[TonyT]

Hi Poolgirl:

Well if you like outdoor activities then you can't beat the area for that kind of thing. With all the hiking trails and what have you, it will keep you more than occupied.

LOL...I wouldn't worry too much about the roaches. Their visits inside houses are rare. I think the largest I have seen up here is maybe an inch and a half long. As I said, treat the inside and outside of your home and you really won't have a problem.

As for parts of town to look for houses...West Sedona is very nice and you have the advantage of being close to banks, grocery stores, all the basics really.

Personally, I don't know that I would stay away from VOC. Prices tend to be a bit less than Sedona but you still get red rock views. The 179 project is a pain to be sure and it is supposed to take until 2010 to finish up. But all you are talking about right now is some traffic delays that cause it to take a little longer to get into Sedona than normal. Only you can say if that is enough to make VOC less desirable for you. The one negative to VOC...the one and only supermarket there is a rip-off. Only unsuspecting tourists and locals that need a few odd and ends ever shop there. Everyone else goes to Sedona to shop.

Hope this helps.

[blur07]

sedona is pretty awesome and very 'lberal minded

[topjimmy]

If you want to own a decent home, you better have a lot of $$$.

[30apples]

For the outdoorsy -types, NM towns near mts, have plenty of hiking and exploring opportunities and it's a lot cheaper. also, more towns w/ good medical services w/o going to major cities. Las Cruces, Alamo, Tularosa, Soccoro, silver City, for example. All would be a LOT cheaper than Sedona. good luck on your search.

[bluewaterpro]

Rent, you can get an excellent deal. Lots of absentee owners.